Heat-exchange type cooler

ABSTRACT

A heat-exchange type cooler includes a top panel, a bottom panel, radiation fins arranged in parallel between the top panel and the bottom panel, heat exchange tubes vertically inserted through the top and bottom panels and the radiation fins, a top cover and a bottom cover respectively covered on the top panel and the bottom panel and defining with the top panel and the bottom panel a top chamber and a bottom chamber, and partition plates respectively mounted inside the top and bottom chambers and dividing the top and bottom chambers into top sub-chambers and bottom sub-chambers that form with the heat exchange tubes a detoured one-way fluid passage for guiding a heat exchange fluid in one direction in a roundabout way.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an improved structure of cooler and more particularly, to a heat-exchange type cooler.

2. Description of Related Art

FIG. 1 illustrates the system architecture of a fluid cooling type cooler according to the prior art. As illustrated, the fluid-cooling type cooler 3 is connected to a heat collector 2 at a computer CPU 1, forming with the heat collector 2 a fluid-cooling circulation system. When the heat collector 2 absorbs heat energy from the computer CPU 1, heat-carrying fluid will be delivered to the fluid-cooling type cooler 3 to dissipate heat. After dissipation of heat, fluid is returned to the heat collector 2 to complete a circulating cycle. In a simple word, the fluid-cooling circulation system is adapted to dissipate heat from the computer CPU 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, which is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of the fluid cooling type cooler shown in FIG. 1, due to the limitation of the bending angle 331 of the heat transfer tubes 33 and arrange way of the heat transfer tubes 33, the contact area between the heat transfer tubes 33 and the radiation fins 32 and the total surface area of the radiation fins 32 for receiving wind from the fan 31 are reduced, resulting in non-satisfactory heat dissipation effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a heat-exchange type cooler, which eliminates the drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art design, the heat-exchange type cooler comprises a plurality of radiation fins arranged in parallel and vertically spaced from one another at a predetermined pitch, the radiation fins each having a plurality of vertical through holes; a plurality of heat exchange tubes respectively vertically mounted in the vertical through holes of the radiation fins, the heat exchange tubes each having a top end and a bottom end respectively protruding over top and bottom sides of the radiation fins; a top panel arranged in parallel to the radiation fins at a top side, the top panel having a plurality of through holes respectively coupled to the top end of each of the heat-exchange tubes and sealed to the outside periphery of each of the heat-exchange tubes; a bottom panel arranged in parallel to the radiation fins at a bottom side, the bottom panel having a plurality of through holes respectively coupled to the bottom end of each of the heat-exchange tubes and sealed to the outside periphery of each of the heat-exchange tubes; a top cover covered on a top side of the top panel and defining with the top panel a watertight top chamber; and a bottom cover covered on a bottom side of the bottom panel and defining with the bottom panel a watertight bottom chamber; wherein partition plates are respectively mounted inside the top chamber and the bottom chamber, dividing the top chamber into a plurality of top sub-chambers and dividing the bottom chamber into a plurality of bottom sub-chambers; the top and bottom ends of each of the heat exchange tubes are respectively disposed in fluid communication with at least one of the top sub-chambers and at least one of the bottom sub-chambers such that the heat exchange tubes and the top sub-chambers and the bottom sub-chambers form a detoured one-way fluid passage for guiding a heat exchange fluid in one direction in a roundabout way.

The aforesaid structure eliminates the problems produced due to the use of curved heat exchange tubes and greatly increases the contact area between the radiation fins and the heat exchange tubes. When a fan is fastened to one lateral side of the radiation fins, much surface area of the radiation fins is provided for receiving wind from the fan. Further, because straight heat exchange tubes are used, they can be installed in the radiation fins in a high density to form a detoured long fluid passage to increase the staying time of heat exchange fluid in the heat exchange tubes so as to improve heat dissipation efficiency.

Further, a water inlet and a water outlet are formed in the bottom cover respectively disposed in fluid communication with the first end and last end of the bottom sub-chambers. Alternatively, the water inlet and the water outlet can be formed in the top cover, or respectively formed in the top cover and the bottom cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the system architecture of a fluid cooling type cooler according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of the fluid cooling type cooler shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a heat-exchange type cooler according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective assembly view of the heat-exchange type cooler according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the heat-exchange type cooler according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, a heat-exchange type cooler 5 in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a plurality of radiation fins 53, a plurality of heat-exchange tubes 54, a top panel 531, a bottom panel 532, a top cover 51, a bottom cover 52, and a fan 55. The radiation fins 53 are horizontally arranged in parallel and vertically spaced from one another at a predetermined pitch, each having a plurality of vertical through holes 530.

The heat-exchange tubes 54 are respectively vertically mounted in the vertical through holes 530 of the radiation fins 53. The top panel 531 is arranged in parallel to the radiation fins 53 at one side, namely, the top side of the radiation fins 53, having a plurality of through holes 5311 respectively coupled to the top end of each of the heat-exchange tubes 54 and then sealed to the outside periphery of each of the heat-exchange tubes 54. The bottom panel 532 is arranged in parallel to the radiation fins 53 at the other side, namely, the bottom side of the radiation fins 53, having a plurality of through holes 5321 respectively coupled to the bottom end of each of the heat-exchange tubes 54 and then sealed to the outside periphery of each of the heat-exchange tubes 54. The fan 55 is vertically fastened at one lateral side of the radiation fins 53.

Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 again, the top cover 51 is covered on the topside of the top panel 531 in a watertight status, defining with the top panel 531 a top chamber 560. The bottom cover 52 is covered on the bottom side of the bottom panel 532 in a watertight status, defining with the bottom panel 532 a bottom chamber 570.

Partition plates 56 are mounted inside the top chamber 560, dividing the top chamber 560 into a plurality of top sub-chambers 561. Partition-plates 57 are mounted inside the bottom chamber 570, dividing the bottom chamber 570 into a plurality of bottom sub-chambers 571. Therefore, the first one of the top sub-chambers 561 is in fluid communication with the top end of the first one of the heat exchange tubes 54, the bottom end of the first one of the heat exchange tubes 54 is in fluid communication with the first one of the bottom sub-chambers 571, the first one of the bottom sub-chambers 571 is also in fluid communication with the bottom end of the second one of the heat exchange tubes 54, the top end of the second one of the heat exchange tubes 54 is in fluid communication with the second one of the top sub-chambers 561, the second one of the top sub-chambers 561 is also in fluid communication with the top end of the third one of the heat exchange tubes 54, the bottom end of the third one of the heat exchange tubes 54 is in fluid communication with the second one of the bottom sub-chambe3rs 571, and so on.

According to the present preferred embodiment, the bottom cover 52 has a water inlet 521 and a water outlet 522 respectively disposed in fluid communication with the first end and last end of the bottom sub-chambers 571, so that fluid can flow from the water inlet 521 to the water outlet 522 through the bottom sub-chambers 571, the heat exchange tubes 54 and the top sub-chambers 561 in one direction in a roundabout way. The water inlet 521 and the water outlet 522 cannot be set corresponding to one common top sub-chamber 561 or bottom sub-chamber 571, however they can be formed in the same cover 51 or 52 or respectively formed in the top cover 51 and the bottom cover 52.

Referring to FIG. 5, each heat exchange tube 54 has a top shoulder 541 and a bottom shoulder 542 respectively disposed at the top and bottom ends and respectively stopped at the outer side of the corresponding vertical through hole 5311 of the top panel 531 and the outer side of the corresponding vertical through hole 5321 of the bottom panel 532.

Further, the radiation fins 53 are aluminum fins, however the heat exchange tubes 54, the top panel 531, the bottom panel 532, the top cover 51 and the bottom cover 52 are respectively made of copper. Sealing between each two copper members is achieved by: melting a phosphor copper solder into a molten fluid, and then having the molten fluid to fill up the gap between each two copper members through a capillary effect, and then cooling down the molten fluid to the solid state.

According to the aforesaid structure, the heat exchange tubes 54 are straight tubes without bending angle, therefore the contact area between the radiation fins 53 and the heat exchange tubes 54 and the total surface area of the radiation fins 53 for receiving wind from the fan 55 can be maximized to improve heat dissipation efficiency. Further, because the heat exchange tubes 54 are straight tubes without bending angle, they can be installed in the radiation fins 53 in a high density to form a detoured long fluid passage, i.e., the staying time of fluid in the heat exchange tubes 54 can be increased to improve heat dissipation efficiency.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A heat-exchange type cooler comprising: a plurality of radiation fins arranged in parallel and vertically spaced from one another at a predetermined pitch, said radiation fins each having a plurality of vertical through holes; a plurality of heat exchange tubes respectively vertically mounted in the vertical through holes of said radiation fins, said heat exchange tubes each having a top end and a bottom end respectively protruding over top and bottom sides of said radiation fins; a top panel arranged in parallel to said radiation fins at a top side, said top panel having a plurality of through holes respectively coupled to the top end of each of said heat-exchange tubes and sealed to the outside periphery of each of said heat-exchange tubes; a bottom panel arranged in parallel to said radiation fins at a bottom side, said bottom panel having a plurality of through holes respectively coupled to the bottom end of each of said heat-exchange tubes and sealed to the outside periphery of each of said heat-exchange tubes; a top cover covered on a top side of said top panel and defining with said top panel a watertight top chamber; and a bottom cover covered on a bottom side of said bottom panel and defining with said bottom panel a watertight bottom chamber; wherein partition plates are respectively mounted inside said top chamber and said bottom chamber, dividing said top chamber into a plurality of top sub-chambers and dividing said bottom chamber into a plurality of bottom sub-chambers; wherein the top and bottom ends of each of said heat exchange tubes are respectively disposed in fluid communication with at least one of said top sub-chambers and at least one of said bottom sub-chambers such that said heat exchange tubes and said top sub-chambers and said bottom sub-chambers form a detoured one-way fluid passage for guiding a heat exchange fluid in one direction in a roundabout way.
 2. The heat-exchange type cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom cover has a water inlet in fluid communication with one of said bottom sub-chambers in a first end of said detoured one-way fluid passage.
 3. The heat-exchange type cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom cover has a water outlet in fluid communication with one of said bottom sub-chambers in a last end of said detoured one-way fluid passage.
 4. The heat-exchange type cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat exchange tubes each have a top shoulder disposed around the top end thereof and stopped at the top side of said top panel.
 5. The heat-exchange type cooler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat exchange tubes each have a bottom shoulder disposed around the bottom end thereof and stopped at the bottom side of said bottom panel.
 6. The heat-exchange type cooler as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fan fastened to said radiation fins at one lateral side. 